We've seen and written a lot lately about the resurgence of catalogues (not surprising really, given we are a catalogue design company!). The Multichannel Merchant Outlook 2014 study last year gave even more credence to the proposition that catalogues today continue to be a strongly relevant medium.

If you're a marketer who is looking at how to create more web traffic; or how to create more consumer engagement; or how multi-channel marketing can increase your ROI, it's well worth an in-depth read.

But for now, here are some top-line highlights - these are metrics you may not be receiving from your traditional media planner.

Not long ago I had lunch with Direct Marketing Hall of Famer, Seth Godin.

Admittedly there were about 1,499 others at the Business Chicks lunch (yes, they even let some lucky men in, too) but I felt like Seth was talking to me and we were getting along famously. I was a member of his "Tribe". Coincidentally (not!), Tribes were what Seth wanted to talk about that day.

No prizes for guessing what this article is about. If you use catalogues and want to make sure you are on the right track without the headache of undertaking an agency, or internal, review this might just be the answer.

As every retailer is fast becoming a Direct Marketer (because customers respond best to a personalised experience) I've found it's worthwhile re-looking at some basic Direct Marketing rules. Doing so can free up funds that will have a compound effect, not just a simple saving going to the bottom line...

For those lucky enough to be at the Mumbrella360 conference in Sydney last week the "must- see" session was Amir Kassei's keynote speech on "Brands of Influence".Kassei is DDB's Worldwide head of Creative. So why am I, a niche agency* principal, giving him airtime?

Simply because the concepts he advocates as well as the work he showcased were inspirational. And, in a world where we need more inspiration, his presentation was a breath of fresh air.

I was out on my LSD on Saturday - that's Long Slow Distance for you non-runners, not some mind-expanding substance! When you are on these runs it helps to think of something to mask the pain.

A lot has been said recently at Content Marketing World Sydney about "keeping the customer as the focus of all your marketing activity", "it's about them, not you", "the customer is the hero, not the marketer".

But a mindset shift for me occurred when I started thinking about various ways in which content is distributed.

We've made comment elsewhere in the Toolbox about who we see as one of Content Marketing's earliest great practitioners - Benjamin Franklin.

Back in the 1700's he produced, over a 25-year period, "Poor Richard's Almanack" involving all manner of content (including maths exercises and demographics) essentially to promote his printing business.

The content became so successful in it's own right that it sold up to 10,000 copies a year.

There are a number of marketers out there who would use this story as evidence that not much has changed. All this "Content Marketing" baloney is just old ideas repackaged.

Want to know what the more innovative brands are doing to get their content marketing shared? Of course you do. For those of us who were not able to attend the recent the Brand Innovators Social Media Summit in New York, this Content Marketing Insider blog post summarises it for you.

Got room for yet another Three Letter Acronym (TLA) in your marketing lexicon? Add LEE to the list. It stands for - Listen. Engage. Experiment.

The nice guy of German retail, Michael Otto is under attack from Jeff Bezos' Amazon. And right now, he's losing.

Forbes Magazine takes you through a short history of the Otto company (including CEO Michael Otto's beginnings in the catalogue business - hence our initial interest in the story) and then poses the question: Can a family-owned retail giant run by a paternalistic billionaire compete with the efficiency-obsessed behemoths born of the cut-throat Internet? Do nice guys finish last?

The "Take 10" concept from Marketing Profs is a great way for time-poor marketers to cover a specific topic in enough detail to make a measurable difference. And so it proved when award-winning direct marketer Lois Brayfield of US agency Jack Schmid dissected one of the most fundamental of all marketing actions.

Too often we've heard the GFC or disruptive technology blamed for discounting and reduced margins, which of course, are contributing factors. But I think there's a much more basic reason. Simply, marketers have been slow to adapt to the new fundamentals.

A few years ago I worked for the retail division of a large entertainment company in California. Every week we would have a large marketing meeting involving 20 - 30 people. We would all show up with spreadsheets and presentations. Most of my week was dedicated to producing a report for that meeting.

For those wanting to target the higher net worth consumer, a study released in September last year is worthy of note.The Ipsos Affluent Survey USA shows that the well-off continue to be enthusiastic consumers of traditional media, notwithstanding a small decline of 2% over the previous 12 months.

A new survey by global data privacy management company TRUSTe has found that consumers are becoming more concerned about privacy than they were - and they are changing their online behaviour accordingly.

This month's roundup of Millennial Marketing articles includes general ways this cohort are changing marketing thinking, specific factors they are reacting to, their comfort with technology for their young children and their desire for overseas travel.

In an age where there are new acronyms coined every week I don't feel compelled to disseminate all of them. Unless, of course it makes sense. And, having discussed this with a number of other marketers over the last few months or so, the ZMOT ("Zero Moment Of Truth") is a concept which has resonated increasingly.

I'm sitting in my backyard admiring the frangipani flowers that are in full bloom at this time of year. It's extraordinary how even Mother Nature lets plants "market" with flowers in a range of colours designed to attract different pollinators.This started me thinking...

With the spending power of Millennials set to overtake Boomers by 2016 we decided to take an ongoing look at what makes this group tick. Following on from last week's first instalment we look at some values Millennials share with Boomers as well as what Millennial Dads are doing that is different to their parents.

The success of QR codes has been somewhat patchy but 2 developments will drive their uptake - increased user base of Smartphones and Google glass (it will also help if you have some good content for the viewer when they make the effort to engage with you! - CAS ed).

Macy's success at migrating their businesses to the new paradigm has been the subject of many case studies, articles and presentations.

Here, in a broader article on using social media generally, but Pinterest and StyleHaul in particular, VP Jennifer Kasper comments "As social channels become more visual and as we see authentic images working more effectively to communicate with our customers we're very excited that those are platforms we might be able to tap into differently."

Mr Porter, the men's online apparel site, makes great use of video to inform and engage their customers. With their stylist Dan May, they've developed a series of videos ("Five Ways to Wear") that take specific garments (such as a cardigan) and show how it can be worn stylishly.

On another angle to engaging their customers through content, Mr Porter also uses video in partnership with a bespoke travel agency to address lifestyle issues.